Small Town Travel Series:

Things to do in Wise County VA

Wise County VA is located in Southwestern VA (not too far from my previous projects with Bristol, Abingdon, and Marion). Within Wise County are the adorable small towns of Wise, Norton, and St. Paul. I spent the most time in St. Paul, which is where the gorgeous Western Front Hotel is located. With so much to do in one small area, you may never want to leave.

My Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Check-in at the Western Front Hotel
• Drinks and dinner at Sugar Hill Brewing Company
• Explore downtown St. Paul
• Music at Lays Hardware (20-minute drive from Sugar Hill Brewing)

Day 2:

• Fourth Avenue Baked Goods Café and Bakery
• Tasting and Tour at MountainRose Vineyard
• Lunch at the Corner Diner at the Inn at Wise
• Explore downtown Wise
• Music and Entertainment at the backyard venue at The Western Front Hotel
• Dinner at Milton’s in the Western Front Hotel

Day 3:

• Float the Clinch River (Kayaks or Tubes) with Clinch Life Outfitters
• Day at Leisure/Return Home

Additional Ideas:

Restaurants:

• Norton: WoodBooger Grill
• Wise: Reno’s Roadhouse
• Wise: The Pub & Tap Room at the Inn at Wise (downtown Wise) Opens at 5PM

Experiences:

Flag Rock Recreation Area (actual home of the “WoodBooger” statue).  It is believed that “Woody WoodBooger” resides within the High Knob / Jefferson National Forest based on reports from the Animal Planet TV show “Finding Bigfoot” which investigated here some years ago.

Shopping:  

• Norton: Glass Slipper Boutique,
• Wise: Turning 360 Boutique

Western Front Hotel

My love for local, boutique hotels is growing out of control. The Western Front Hotel in downtown St. Paul, VA is absolutely gorgeous. With the perfect mix of flair and small-town charm, you may never want to leave the hotel. The rooms are huge, modern, and extremely clean. The backyard venue is a great place to hang-out at night, play cornhole, and just relax after a day of exploring the area.

Sugar Hill Brewing Company

Located within walking distance to the Western Front Hotel in St. Paul, Sugar Hill Brewing Company is a must-see while in Wise County. Both the food and the beer at Sugar Hill Brewing Company is absolutely mouth-watering. Sugar Hill is also opening a Cidery this month in Norton VA.

My Menu:

• Flight of four of their house-made beers:
  • The Warm and Fuzzy Scotch Ale****
  • Raven Oatmeal Stout*****
  • Copper Ridge DIPA***
  • Western Front German Pilsner***
• For food, I was able to try:
  • The Sampler Platter, with fried pickles, boneless wings, and an assortment of other fried deliciousness!*****
  • Buffalo Joe Sandwich****
  • Sirloin, with fries and veggies***

**Stars indicate my personal favorites on a scale from 1-5**

Lays Hardware

Located 20 minutes from downtown St. Paul, Lays Hardware is a happening, non-profit venue for music and the arts. Local musical talents take the stage and the entire town comes out for a night of fun and dancing. Concessions are inside and available for purchase. They also offer a variety of artistry classes, including stain glass and woodworking. The owner was so kind in showing me around! Also, there is a beautiful area across the street with a large LOVE sign!

MountainRose Vineyard

I was extremely impressed with MountainRose Vineyard. Southwest VA is not exactly known for its wine. However, the people at MountainRose seem to know what they are doing. They have a very good variety of dry and sweet wines, which allows them to cater to a wider audience considering the region. My favorite was the dry sparkling named Kelliokee. The staff was fun to talk to during my tasting. And the tasting room has plenty of room indoor and outside to relax and enjoy a glass or a bottle!

Milton’s

Located inside of the Western Front Hotel, Milton’s is a local gem. The space is decorated beautifully, definitely giving it a luxury feel. Milton’s truly gives St. Paul a real fine dining experience. Plus, the convenience of being both downtown and inside of the hotel is a huge plus!

Menu:

• Elaine’s Pepperoni Rolls*****
• Baked Ziti, ziti pasta, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce*****
• New York Strip with macaroni and cheese and Brussel sprouts!***

**Stars indicate my personal favorites on a scale from 1-5

Clinch Life Outfitters

If you don’t do anything else in Wise County, you should absolutely float the Clinch River! Clinch Life Outfitters is a tour company that offers both tubing and kayaking trips. The water is extremely calm, so no worries about that. It is around a 2-hour float in a tube or a 1.5-hour ride kayaking. The people working will get you set up in their office and then give you a ride to the start of the river! I highly recommend doing this, it makes the area very unique.

Conclusions:

Thanks for reading my itinerary for Things to do in Wise County VA! The county has so much to offer visitors in its variety of small towns. If you have any questions or would like ideas for a trip of your own, feel free to message me on Instagram or Facebook! I love helping you guys plan the perfect getaways.

*Thank you to Wise County Tourism for sponsoring this trip*

Until next time,

Previous Post: A Weekend Getaway in Houston Texas

Xo,